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3.5/4

It has been several years since I last made this. My notes helped a lot. I roast the hazelnuts at 400 for no longer than 8 minutes. 7 minutes might be better. Citron is essential IMO and finely grated peel of 2 lemons certainly helps.
I use only 1/4 cup cocoa, although I have made it with no cocoa and the result was good. Do ensure that you reduce the temp of your oven to 300 or the cake will burn. The final cooking time at 300 for an hour and a quarter is a little long. After one hour, check it regularly. One hour was long enough for my oven. Chocolate spread over the top can be omitted too. I will use icing sugar this time, as one reviewer has suggested.

major_d
from BC
/ 12.02.2015

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I make this for
Christmas every
year--started making
it because my mother
loves panforte.
The only changes I
make are candying my
own mixed fruit peel
(lemon, orange,
grapefruit) instead
of using citron, and
I skip the melted
chocolate.
Delicious, deep,
spicy, nutty, figgy.
Incidentally it also
makes a great energy
bar for hiking!

kbridge1
from Brooklyn, NY
/ 12.07.2009

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I have made this two Christmases in a row and really like it. I may use slightly smaller amounts of some of the ingredients; otherwise no changes. I don't bake it quite so long as the recipe says because my oven is somewhat hot.But everybody who tries it really likes it: it's complex, not too sweet, really delicious.

tipple
from groveport, oh
/ 01.03.2008

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I followed the directions exactly but used some different dried fruits. However, it burned black before it was even halfway through the baking time! We couldn't even try it, it was ruined. I will try this again another time and be sure to watch it carefully, but I think something must be wrong here!

digigirl
from Sugar Land, TX
/ 12.19.2007

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Added some dried cherries in exchange for some of the other fruit. Will use some mixed peel next time as suggested by others. Like the addition of the sour flavors; fairly sweet as is. As noted by others, watch the cook time. It's kind of hard to tell when it's starting to brown with all that cocoa powder. I'll probably take one out after an hour next time to check.
Found the mixing difficult; bad arm. The problem was getting all the flour/cocoa mixtureincorporated. Hard to stir with all the fruit and nuts. Any suggestions besides weightlifting?

A Cook
from Arizona
/ 12.08.2006

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Yummy- but you must like fruitcake! All the fruitcake lovers loved this cake but the fruitcake haters didn't. I was too much of a chicken to use all that coriander so I used only 1/2 teaspoon plus 1/2 teaspoon allspice. I also used 1/2 cup citron and 1/2 cup mixed dried fruits and candied peel.

A Cook
from Cranford, NJ
/ 01.02.2005

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Very similar to the panforte from Sienna. I omitted the cocoa from the recipe (don't increase the flour! it makes it too cakey), but used cocoa to dust the top and sides. The baking time is too long, so watch it. Any mixture of dried fruits should work, so don't get hung up on having the proper ingredients. I used dates and figs and dried cranberries. The aroma is heavenly and it is a great recipe to make with a helper in the kitchen.

A Cook
from memphis,tn
/ 12.23.2004

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This is a very difficult recipe to perform, and I mean perform! Can anybody say Ibuprofen? It should read, "Warning. Do not make this if you have neck, shoulder, or back problems."
Seriously though, the flavors are wonderful but the baking time should be reduced by at least a half hour/thirty-five minutes. I do have neck and shoulder problems and I had bought enough ingredients to make cakes for all my friends, so I was committed.
So, today I made another batch. Omitted the sugar and butter. Added 3 beaten eggs, 1 tsp of baking soda and 1/4 tsp of salt. Much better.

gilreed
from Saint John, NB
/ 12.20.2004

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I prepare this wonderful Christmas treat with a few changes: I omit the cocoa altogether and instead use 1.25 cups flour. I substitute allspice for the coriander, and add a few tbs of maple syrup to the honey mixture. I like a citrus note, so I increase the orange peel and add 3 tb of the fresh juice as well. I use mixed candied peel instead of plain citron so I get notes of grapefruit, which is lovely. Finally, don't be afraid to double or even triple this recipe. A few times I have dragged out my "cauldron" and made a gigantic triple batch of panforte, and it always turns out great. You just need some elbow grease to try and mix the whole thing together! Beacuse I'm a purist, I omit the chocolate coating as well..the recipe just doesn't need it. Enjoy!

A Cook
from Halifax, Nova Scotia
/ 12.07.2004

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This is an outstanding recipe, terrific flavor with subtle (even "mysterious," according to one friend) notes from the spices. I received rave reviews and recipe requests from those I gave it to. I made one substition, dried cherries in place of candied citron, and the cherries were a perfect sweet-tart complement to the other flavors. I found that one recipe made six, 4-inch cakes, baked for a slightly shorter time; these are the perfect size for gift giving as part of an assortment. This is also a good choice for shipping to loved ones far away, because of its long shelf life at room temperature.